Bounce
by Kitera
Summary: For her sixth birthday Darcy wanted nothing else but a bounce house at her party (and a Barbie but she knew that was never going to happen). In the end she gets something better when six uninvited guests arrive to play.


**A/N:** I was browsing Tumblr and I found a prompt for my OTP playing in a bounce house as children. I thought it looked cute and could be fun to do a drabble based on it. In the end, it turned into a complete one-shot. Oops. Anyways this is unbeta'ed, all mistakes are my own. I plan to come back and clean it up after my semester ends in a few weeks. Until then please enjoy it for what it is.

Bounce

For her sixth birthday Darcy, wanted a bounce house at her party. Her parents weren't entirely enthusiastic about the idea after all bounce houses cost more than a party at a bowling alley. When they tried to offer her an alternative activity for her party, Darcy stomped her foot, crossed her tiny arms over her chest, and pouted for all she was worth. Demanding that she needed to have a bounce house at her party because Mindy, the girl up the street, had one and it was the only way she was going to have an awesome party.

In the end, her parents caved and on her birthday, there was a bounce house set up in the backyard. Nearly twenty shrieking six year olds ran amok in the soft green grass, spilled soda, and ate potato chips as part of the party. Tag was played and Darcy won much to her complete surprise, and the bounce house was thoroughly enjoyed by every little munchkin Darcy knew. And a few that she didn't.

Six children she didn't know were playing in her bounce house. They were rowdy, loud, and rough housing which Darcy remembered being against the rules. Being the birthday girl she climbed inside while everyone else was getting cake and stood at the center of the inflatable with her hands planted firmly on her hips and she glared at each and every one of them.

"You're going to get in trouble if you don't stop. The rules say no rough housing. People could get hurt," she scolded surprising at least four of the children out of trying to build a human tower to the roof.

The fifth merely stood in the far corner draped in shadow as he watched Darcy scold the others.

The only girl in the group that Darcy didn't know came forward, eyes blazing with challenge. Her blond hair gleaming as the sun streamed in. "And who are you to tell a prince what he and his companions can and cannot do?" She demanded, her little body thrumming like it was looking for a fight.

"It's my party. Everyone has to do what I say. Everyone has to follow the rules, if they don't people get hurt." Darcy explained ignoring that the other girl was bigger or that one of the blond boys looked annoyed at being told he had to do what she said. "And my parents said because it was _my_ day I am a Princess which is why everyone has to do what I say."

The boys started laughing and the girl rolled her eyes turning back to her friends so they could continue with building their tower once more. The girl was halfway up when Darcy got fed up, her temper flaring at being ignored. This isn't how birthday parties worked, she was supposed to be showered in presents and attention. Not insulted and ignored. Not thinking she ran at the group and pushed with all her might giving the tower which was already somewhat precariously unstable from being built in a bounce house the nudge it needed to go tumbling down.

Unfortunately, Darcy found herself at the bottom of a very messy dog pile with the other girl's elbow wedged under her neck and she was finding it difficult to breathe.

"Don't you ever attack Prince Thor," the girl hissed at her putting extra pressure on Darcy's throat.

"That is enough Sif, she is but a child," The boy in the corner commanded.

Sif looked up glared at him and turned her gaze to the blond boy that looked annoyed only moments before. He nodded slowly eying Darcy with amusement but said nothing. Sif removed herself from Darcy's body with enough force to leave the girl confused at how quickly she could move. Her hand rubbing at her throat as she coughed. Slowly she worked her way to sitting up, tears forming in her eyes and her lower lip trembling that they were so mean.

There was an exasperated sigh from the other blond, "Really Sif, look what you did. You made the poor girl cry. What if she tells her parents?"

"Really Fandral? And who would believe her? We're cloaked from their vision."

"Not her vision," the young Asian looking boy finally spoke up pulling the argument to a close with his quick observation.

"Well since we're here, any chance we might be able to have a slice of that delicious looking cake?"

Sif looked at the pudgy red headed boy in disgust while Darcy stared unsure how to react to his question. First, they laugh at her and then they ask her for cake. That little flame of temper flared again as she glared at him.

"No," she wheezed, "You weren't invited, you don't deserve cake. Plus you laughed at me." It was all so obviously simple to her. Cake was for guests and while she might have entertained, the idea earlier that had become a resounding no the moment they'd laughed.

"Please?" The blond prince asked, gentle pleading in his eyes. He looked uncomfortable like he wasn't used to having to ask and Darcy felt her resolve dwindling. Her mother would scold her for denying them cake out of anger. That wasn't how a birthday girl was supposed to act, she could hear her mother saying already. Birthday girl's were supposed to be kind and graceful and welcoming to all.

The other boy finally pushed out of his dark corner. "Let me help you carry the cake," he offered as if he knew she were going to give in at any second. He and the blond shared a look, something passing between them that made her bristle again. Pouting she crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head, brown hair flying everywhere as her blue eyes bored holes into his green ones.

"Did you at least bring me a present," she chided raising her chin in defiance.

There was a long moment of quiet when the dark haired boy produced a wrapped box from thin air and held it out to her. "It's from all of us," he explained holding it out so the wrapping paper shimmered in the sunlight. Little shapes of stars and planets reflecting onto the interior of the bounce house in the light.

Her expression brightened as she practically ran to the boy to take her present. Complete excitement buzzing under her skin as she tore off the paper, and he placed the little green bow in her hair. The box was unremarkable in its commonplace white coloring as she studied it, looking for the telltale signs that he might have taped it shut on her but there was nothing of the sort, so she tore the lid off.

Tons of tissue paper spilled forth, creating a small pool around Darcy. Removing yet another piece she gasped as she looked at the gift before her. It was the perfect present, exactly what she had wanted but she doubted her parents had even thought to get it. They were the kind of people that didn't believe in Barbies or dolls. She only had one mostly frivolous toy and it was a stuffed rabbit that she'd come home from the hospital with six years ago. The strange children's present was Malibu Barbie plus two extra outfits. She beamed at all six of them never happier than she was in that moment.

Carefully putting the Barbie back in the box she launched herself at the boy knocking them both down where they proceeded to bounce a handful of times as she laughed. When they finally stilled she pushed herself up still grinning and blew hair out of her eyes.

"Thank you thank you thank you thank you." She babbled making the boy laugh.

"I'm Loki."

"Darcy," she replied.

"So does that mean we can have cake?"


End file.
